Flue-cleaner for steam-boilers.



No. $75,673. Patented June 4, IBM. H. BASMUSSEN.

FLUE CLEANER FOR STEAM BOILERS.

(Application filed Feb. 16, 1901.)

(No Model.)

head, thus making a tight joint.

UNiTien STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HANS RASMUSSEN, OF CEDARFALLS, IOlVA.

lFLUE-CLEANER FOR STEAM-BOILERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 675,673, dated June 4, 1901. Application filed February 16, 1901I Serial No. 47,630. (No model.)

To (oZZ whom, it may concern.-

Beitknown that I, HANS RASMUSSEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cedarfalls, in the county of Blackhawk and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Flue-Cleaners for Steam-Boilers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to flue-cleaners for steamboilers; and the object of the same is to construct a device of this character by the use of which the soot and ashes are removed by suction alone, it being unnecessary to wet the inside of the pipe or introduce cold air into the same. With but a simple modification my device may also be used as an ordi nary blower; but the preferred way of using it is as above mentioned. With this object in view I have designed the simple and novel construction fully described in this specification and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of my device, together with a fragment of a steam-boiler and one iiue. Fig. 2 is a detail of the spirally-grooved tube and end view. Fig. 3 is a detail of the mouthpiece.

Like numerals of reference designate like parts in the diiierent views of the drawings.

The numeral 1 designates a flaring or trumpet-shaped mouthpiece, which is exteriorly traversed by a circumferential groove, which forms an annular shoulder 2. This monthpiece 1 is designed to fit into the end of a boilerilue 3, with the shoulder 2 resting against the Directly connected to the mouthpiece 1 by a screwjoint at is a pipe 5, which is oppositely connected to the stem branch 6 of a T- coupling 6. Mounted to revolve in the pipe 5 is a tube 7, provided with cross-bars 8, which are pivotally joined by pintles 9 to cross-bars 10, extending transversely the pipe 5. The exterior of the tube 7 is smooth and loosely fits the pipe 5; but the interior is traversed by a deep beveled spiral groove 11. The effect of this spiral groove is to force the tube 7 to revolve on the pintles 9 when air courses through it, which action increases the suction and tends to break up the coarse material that might otherwise clog up the pipe. The screw-like movement would also tend to advance the material on its course through the pipe.

The upper branch 12 of the T 6 is connected to a pipe 13, a foot or more in length, which communicates with the chimney and serves to increase the draft or suction of the device. The lower branch 14 of the T is fitted with a plug 15, centrally pierced by an interiorlythreaded aperture 16. Screwed into the aperture 16 is an exteriorly-threaded nozzle 17, having a detachable point 18. The detachability of the point 18 makes it possible to substitute points of various sizes. The top of the point of the nozzle 17 is placed just above the center of the opening 6 of the T 6that is, just high enough to prevent the conical jet of steam issuing from the nozzle from entering and obstructing the pipe 5. The outer end 19 of the nozzle 17 is screw-threaded and has connected thereto an elbow, which is in turn connected to a pipe 20, which provides means for attaching a hose-pipe 21. This hose-pipe communicates with the boiler being cleaned or with some other source of steam, (not shown,) and a supply of steam thereby provided for operating the cleaner. A handle 22 is clamped to the pipe 13.

In operation the mouthpiece 1 is inserted in the end of a flue 3 in the manner shown and steam is turned into the hose-pipe 21. This steam issues from the nozzle and causes a suction or outdrat't, which draws the ac cumulated dirt out of the flue via the mouthpiece 1 and pipe 5.

In using my device as a blower a plug is inserted in the mouthpiece 1 and the end of pipe 13 inserted in the flue, or the plug may be omitted if the introduction of cold air is not deemed objectionable.

I do not wish to be limited as to details of construction, as these may be modified in many particulars Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a flue-cleaner, the combination, of a flaring mouthpiece adapted to fit into the end of a flue, a pipe connected to said mouthpiece, a tube spirally grooved interiorly and revolubly mounted in said pipe, a chamber connected to said pipe, a nozzle projecting into said chamber, means for introducing steam into said nozzle and means for permitting the steam to escape from said chamber thereby causing an outdraft through said mouthpiece, substantially as described.

2.' In a flue-cleaner, the combination, of a flaring mouthpiece constructed to fit the end 'of a flue, a pipe connected to said mouthpiece, a tube spirally grooved interiorly and rotatably mounted in said pipe, a chamber connected to said pipe, means for introducing steam into said chamber, and means for permitting steam to rapidly escape from said chamber thereby causing an outdraft through said fine and pipe, substantially as I 5 HANS RASMUSSEN.

WVitnesses:

ANTON Fans, 11. BLOOMBERG. 

